Food for Thought: Our furry friend, the kiwi

Weekly food for thought with items on the nutritional value of the kiwi, a simple and fast Coffee Cup Scramble recipe, "Devil's Food Cake Murder" and more.

Staff reports

Kiwifruit has a history as unusual as its appearance. Discovered in ancient China, the berry, which grows on vines like grapes, was known as Chinese gooseberry by the mid-1800s.

It arrived in California in the early 1960s and was nicknamed "kiwifruit" because it was imported from New Zealand. Today, fewer than 300 family farms produce more than 98 percent of all the kiwifruit grown in the U.S. You can view a video about kiwifruit, how it's grown and how to select, ripen and eat it at www.kiwifruit.org.

Two and a half times the recommended daily amount of vitamin C
More fiber in two kiwis than a bowl of bran cereal
More potassium than a banana
Nearly 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of folate
Vitamin E

The California Kiwifruit Commission offers a few helpful hints for enjoying kiwi:

Kiwifruit should be smooth-skinned but slightly prickly, without wrinkles, bruises or blemishes.
If you'll be eating your kiwifruit after three or more days, choose fruit that are firm to the touch. If you plan to eat them in just a day or two, select softer fruit. To eat them right away, choose fruit that give easily when gently pressed.
To eat your kiwifruit, practice "slooping." First, slice the kiwi in half lengthwise, and then scoop out the sweet flesh with a spoon, which is slooping.
Use kiwifruit in smoothies, salads, desserts, puddings and even cocktails.

You can receive a free slooper from the California Kiwifruit Commission by visiting their website. You can view a video about kiwifruit, how it's grown and how to select, ripen and eat it at www.kiwifruit.org.

1. Coat a 12-ounce microwave-safe coffee mug with cooking spray. Add eggs and milk; beat until blended.
2. Microwave on high 45 seconds; stir. Microwave until eggs are almost set, 30 to 45 seconds longer.
3. Top with cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Makes 1 serving.

For more information on nutritional benefits of eggs and egg recipes, visit www.IncredibleEgg.org.

-- ARA

Did You Know?

When you check the ingredient list on a nutrition information label, the products are listed in descending order by weight, with the largest amounts listed first.

-- EatRight.org

Food Quiz

What separates the English muffin from the American muffin?

A. American muffins are for breakfast and English muffins are generally a lunch product.
B. English muffins are flat like a disc and American muffins are tall and rounded.
C. American muffins are really cupcakes without icing.
D. English muffins are really biscuits.

-- funtrivia.com

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word: Leyden cheese

Flavored with caraway or cumin seeds, this Dutch cheese is made from a combination of partially skimmed cow's milk and buttermilk. It's spicy and semi-soft, and it is delicious as a snack, especially when served with dark bread and dark beer.

-- Epicurious.com

Number to Know

102: A tablespoon of unsalted butter is 102 calories.

-– calorielab.com

The Dish On …

“Devil’s Food Cake Murder: Hannah Swensen Series #14” by Joanne Fluke

Things are going well in the romance department for Hannah Swensen, and her bakery's delectable confections are selling almost as fast as she can bake them. Even her good friend, Claire, is head over heels with her new husband, Rev. Bob Knudson.

Then Bob's childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. All is fine until Hannah finds Matthew dead, face down in a plate of Devil's Food Cake with a single bullet in his head. To find out who killed Matthew, Hannah starts asking questions.

-- Kensington Publishing Corp.

From the Beer Nut’s Blog: Les Trois Mousquetaires from Canada

Canada is an underrated beer country, so for this week’s import review, I looked north of the border for inspiration. Les Trois Mousquetaires, or The Three Muskateers, is a brewery I’ve been seeing lately. They have three different lager style beers in 750 milliliters, caged and corked bottle. The brewery is based in Brossard, Quebec.

I decided to try the Serie Signature Kellerbier. This unfiltered lager is to drink. It smells like bread and has some fruitiness in the aroma. Taste-wise, there’s a lot of sweet maltiness and flavors of green apples and a kind of musty taste. It is 5.5 percent alcohol by volume. It’s unusual to see a corked lager, but the beer is phenomenal.

To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.townonline.com/beernut/.

Food Quiz Answer

B. English muffins are flat like a disc and American muffins are tall and rounded.

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